Page 56 of A Package Deal

I shot her a smile and she gasped, disappearing again before bursting out the side door and running up to give me a hug.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m running into you!” She pulled back and gave me a once-over. “Holy shit, you own jeans.”

That made me laugh harder, but I was all too aware of Em slinking back behind me and that just wouldn’t do. I hooked my arm around her waist and thrust her in front of me. “Melissa Dobbins, meet my wife, Emmerleigh Slaywright. Em, this is Melissa, one of my chef hires.”

Melissa yelped and pulled Em into a startled hug. “You got married! Oh my God!” She pulled back and shot Em a wink. “You lucked out. This man is one of the greatest people I know. He gave me a shot when no one else would listen to my ideas. I now have six food trucks because of this guy.”

Em smiled at me, as if seeing me through a different lens. I waved away the compliment. “It was just a matter of time before your dogs took off. I just lucked out to be at the ground level.”

Melissa ignored me, putting her hand on Em’s shoulder. “Do not listen to him. He loaned me money to get started and then gave me so much free business advice that things took off right away. He’s one of the good ones, honey. Don’t ever let him go.”

Em looked as embarrassed as I felt. I didn’t do what I did for accolades. Believe me, I made plenty of money in business and I always helped people out when I felt like they deserved it or had an idea that was truly exceptional. And Melissa had been both.

Anton crashed into my side, holding up two beers and shoving one in my hand. “Got you an IPA, Wolfe.” He saw Melissa standing there and turned to face her. “Well, hello there, beautiful. Are you from Blueball?”

Em rolled her eyes. “Nice to meet you, Melissa.”

“Oh, you too, honey. Warrick…” She shook her head with a smile. “The dogs will always be on the house for you, my friend.”

And then she let Anton lead her away, laughing at whatever he had to say. I felt Em staring at the side of my face.

“What?”

She clutched my bicep. “You’re embarrassed.”

I shrugged, still not meeting her eyes. “Maybe. Just feels weird when people gush like that when I was just doing my job.”

Em lifted onto her toes, both hands sliding up onto my shoulders and then into my hair at the back of my head. Her breasts smashed against my chest. That sure got my attention.

“You know, I have a thing for good guys,” she drawled.

My eyes widened. “Oh yeah?”

She nodded and licked her lips. “Most definitely.”

Heat built between us like it always did, even when we were arguing. “Let’s find Georgia and go home,” I said in a rush, needing to be alone with her.

Em laughed, digging her heels in. “Hey, I want my cheddar dog first.”

I groaned and dropped my head. If I had to watch her eat a corn dog and moan at how yummy it was, I might just get arrested for indecent exposure after all.

“You’re killing me, Slaywright.”

“I’ll make it up to you tonight,” she whispered.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Emmerleigh

Anton decided to stay at a hotel in town. I didn’t ask for details. Some things a sister didn’t need to know. After I got Georgia to sleep—which was no easy feat after the sugar she’d eaten at the carnival and all the flashing lights of the rides—I went to find Warrick. Against my better judgement, I had another itch to scratch. Or perhaps it was that one night together didn’t satisfy quite like I thought it would. I wanted more.

His bedroom door was open but he wasn’t in there. I searched the living room and back porch, but didn’t see him enjoying the early summer night and the cicadas that had picked up with the increase in temperatures. Then I heard it. The faint strains of a country song coming from the kitchen. I hurried through the house and turned the corner to find him standing in the center of the kitchen, a lazy grin on his handsome face. He’d let his beard grow again the last couple of days and it was sexy as hell on his square jaw.

“What’s going on?”

He held out his hand and I stepped forward to take it. He pulled me into his arms and began to sway back and forth. “I told you I’d get you to dance with me in this kitchen one day. Is today my lucky day?”

I grinned, remembering him and Georgia dancing in this very spot. The man was a romantic, and while I felt like maybe the romance had been beaten out of me, I liked that Warrick wanted those sweet moments with me. My hands slid up his arms and over his shoulders. I looked up into his face and let myself fall, just a little bit, for this husband of mine.

---